


The Bigot

by Bluewolf458



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-04
Updated: 2015-07-04
Packaged: 2018-04-07 15:38:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4268844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluewolf458/pseuds/Bluewolf458
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A new detective in Major Crime is a total bigot</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Bigot

**Author's Note:**

> Written in two parts for Sentinel Thursday, prompts outspoken and tea.

The Bigot

by Bluewolf

Probably the most outspoken person in Major Crime was Megan Connor.

Nobody had quite decided whether it was because she was a woman working in what was basically a man's world (although there were quite a few female officers, there were, for no obvious reason, vanishingly few female detectives in Cascade's PD) or whether it was because she was Australian; but when she didn't call a spade a spade it was because she was calling it a bloody shovel. She had all the tact of a charging rhinoceros, although under certain circumstances she could show her feminine side - or it might be more accurate to say her female side, because 'feminine' was something she wasn't, despite the pink trimming on the coat she had worn the day she arrived in Cascade.

Nobody was surprised when she told Rich Holmes, a new arrival in Major Crime, exactly what she thought of his patronising attitude towards Blair, on his second day in the bullpen. Jim, who had been about to snarl the newcomer down, and Blair himself, who had been about to utter a few well-chosen words on the subject of experience, had both been impressed at the speed with which she rose to Blair's defence. Behind Holmes' back, Ross Barker, the older detective who had been partnered with the man, grinned appreciatively. Barker had already decided that the rookie detective was badly needing to be knocked down to size, and he was quietly committing to memory Holmes' stunned expression as the woman he had told Barker 'shouldn't be given the responsible job of being a detective because women don't have the intelligence to be anything but wives and mothers' told him exactly what she thought of him, his common sense and his chance of ever making a successful career in Major Crime.

It wasn't, after all, as if Barker hadn't warned Holmes, when he made that derogatory remark the previous day, to wait and watch before he formed - and publicly expressed - any opinions he might have about his fellows in Major Crime.

The only thing that surprised Barker was that Holmes had gained a detective's badge without already learning not to pre-judge his fellow workers. Barker could half understand Holmes' attitude regarding Blair, who was, after all, a civilian ridealong even though he had long proved his worth as Ellison's partner, but where had that prejudice against women come from?

Quietly deciding not to say, "I warned you not to underestimate Connor", Barker turned his attention back to the report he had been reading before his partner was thoroughly reamed out by the woman he had so denigrated less than an hour after meeting her. Not that Holmes probably wouldn't realize that he was <i>thinking</i> it, but he did feel it would be more tactful not to say it out loud.

Holmes rejoined him, still looking slightly stunned.

However, the man still didn't have the sense to remain totally quiet, though he kept his voice down as he muttered, "What the hell can a civilian on a ridealong offer when it comes to solving crimes? How much longer does his ridealong last anyway?"

"You'd be surprised what he can offer," Barker said quietly. "Ridealongs? They usually only last ninety days and Blair's been riding with Ellison for over two years now so I doubt it'll ever terminate - and you'd be surprised how often a comment he's made has helped solve a case, not just for Ellison but for pretty well everyone in this department. And Rich - just be grateful it was Connor who chewed you out - she at least spat out the bits. Ellison would have chewed you out and _swallowed_ the bits - and Banks... he'd have spat out the bits then fed them to the nearest dog.

"And Rich - you're my partner but, believe me, this is the only time I won't slap you down if you say anything against Blair. After Ellison, he's the best detective in the unit - and I think the only reason Ellison is better is because Blair lets him get the credit most of the time."

Holmes stared at his partner, open-mouthed. In the two days they'd been partnered, Barker hadn't been quite so outspoken, and Holmes was totally taken aback.

Jim grinned appreciatively as he listened.

Either Holmes would learn, or he wouldn't; and if he didn't learn, and learn quickly, Simon would have him quietly transferred to another department.

There was no place in Major Crime for the person who was outspokenly bigoted or prejudiced... and Holmes would quickly learn that nobody in any department was likely to appreciate criticism of Major Crime's observer. He had helped too many of the cops or their families in the two years he had been a ridealong.

If it came to a choice between Blair and Holmes... Jim was well aware who would win.

***

The Bigot Learns a Lesson

The robbery of Cascade's First National Bank had resulted in the fatal shooting of a bank security guard, as well as the wounding of a teller and a member of the public, one of the many who had been waiting in line to pay in or withdraw money.

Just why the four thieves had chosen such a busy time of a busy day to raid the bank was a total mystery - although as well as the money they had forced the tellers to hand over, they had also taken the purses or wallets of everyone in the bank.

Now Ross Barker and his rookie partner Rich Holmes were visiting the many witnesses in a so-far futile attempt to get anything but the vaguest description of the thieves, who had been wearing masks.

The consensus was that all four were white, at least six feet tall, and had short brown hair. It was a description that could fit up to half of the male population of Cascade.

Not long after noon, Barker said, "Lunch. Where do you want to go?"

They were just outside Wonderburger, but if he had expected Holmes to say, "This'll do fine," he was doomed to disappointment. In fact, though, he hadn't expected it; in the two weeks they had been partnered, he had discovered that Holmes' prejudices hadn't been limited to women and civilians working at the PD (including some of the cleaning staff - "Men who demean themselves by doing women's work") but extended to things he called 'junk food', which included hamburgers, hot dogs, pizzas and donuts. Beer was something he dismissed as 'pig swill', and he had made it clear that he considered bourbon the only spirit worth drinking.

Holmes looked thoughful for a moment as he glanced around. There was a surprisingly large Mom and Pop store on the next block; he indicated it. "They sell very good sandwiches and hot drinks - coffee and tea, mostly herbal."

Barker hid his surprise. He wouldn't have been at all surprised if Holmes had dismissed sandwiches as something 'not properly prepared'. "Okay."

They drove some yards past the store before finding a parking space; Barker pulled into it, and both men got out.

As they walked back to the store Holmes said, "Mrs. Howard makes the sandwiches to order, and everything, even the bread, is home cooked. The only thing that isn't is the dairy produce - butter and cheese."

 _Ah,_ Barker thought. _A_ proper _woman, fitting his prejudices._ But he simply nodded. "Sounds good."

There were at least a dozen people in the store.

Holmes led the way past the checkout to a corner where a table was set up, with bread and cold meats covering it, an elderly woman behind it and, behind her, a steaming urn with a selection of packets of tea beside it. On the wall beside the table was a 'menu'; Holmes indicated it. "See what you - " he began, and his sentence was abruptly cut off when he realized that the two people just turning away from the table, paper bags and styrofoam cups in their hands, were Blair Sandburg and Megan Connor.

Barker recognized them in the same moment, but even as he opened his mouth to call a greeting, the door slammed open and someone fired a gun. One shot, enough to draw the attention of everyone in the store.

"Everyone on the floor!"

Barker grabbed his partner and pulled him down. Holmes muttered, "We should - "

 _At least he remembered to whisper,_ Barker thought. "Let them underestimate us," he breathed. Apparently keeping his head down, he watched the two men who had come into the store. "Wait for a reasonable chance. If you don't you'll just get yourself shot."

Both were masked. At least that meant there was a good chance that robbery was the only thing on their minds; although they were armed, they were unlikely to start shooting, as long as everyone did what they were told. He glanced sideways at Sandburg and Connor, noting that Connor was lying with her hands under her, in a position that meant she could push herself upright very quickly. Sandburg was huddled against some shelves, as if he was terrified... his head was down, but his hair hid his face and Barker was sure he was watching the thieves.

Only one seemed to be armed. His head was moving steadily as he watched the customers; the other crossed to the checkout, and the elderly man there obediently opened the till.

And then Sandburg moved. Seizing a moment when the gunman was looking in the other direction, he pushed himself upright and threw something at the man. Barker had just time to realize it was the styrofoam cup before it hit the gunman on the head, bursting open and sending steaming tea down his face and onto his shoulder.

As it did, Connor pushed herself upright and lunged for the man at the checkout. He didn't have time to defend himself before she had him held firmly, in a position that meant if he tried to move he would probably dislocate his shoulder.

Meanwhile Sandburg had followed the cup he had thrown and quietly, without fuss, knocked down the screaming gunman, who was more intent on holding his soaked-in-hot-tea shirt away from his skin than watching his erstwhile hostages, and sat on him, kicking the gun away as he did.

Barker grinned appreciatively as he pushed himself up. "Okay," he said. "Call it in then come and help them." He crossed to Sandburg, knowing that Connor had the second man thoroughly subdued.

The rest of the customers clustered around the sandwich table, where Mr. Howard had joined his wife. One or two had tried to leave, but Holmes, having called it in, finally had the chance to be a cop and asked them all to wait, as witnesses to the attempted robbery.

***

The afternoon was well advanced before everyone else had gone and only the Howards and the cops - and Blair - were left. Blair and Megan had retrieved their sandwiches and eaten them (Mr. Howard having refused to let them pay); Mrs. Howard had made sandwiches for Holmes and Barker, also on the house. "The least we can do," she said. She had also replaced Blair's peppermint tea.

"Will you two be all right?" Blair asked.

Mr. Howard nodded. "It's not the first time someone has robbed us or tried to, and I don't suppose it'll be the last," he said. "But none of the thieves are ever going to get much; at any given time there's only about $50 in the till, though they might take some cigarettes or booze. Any high value notes go into a hidden locked drawer, and we encourage our regular customers to pay anything over $10 by plastic." He grinned. "These two... bad luck for them that you were in the store. I knew you were all just waiting for a chance; I knew they'd be caught."

***

Outside, Holmes looked from Blair to Megan, and back again.

"I'm sorry," he said. "Today... you've given my prejudices a good hard kick on the ass."

"Your prejudices - or your father's?" Blair asked.

"Well," he said slowly, "I learned them from him. But I think he learned them from his father."

"Who possibly learned them from his," Blair agreed.

"Well, it's not something I'll be passing on to my sons, if I ever have any," Holmes said. "I learned a valuable lesson today. I won't forget it."

They separated, Blair and Megan going in one direction for their car and Holmes and Barker in a different direction for theirs.

 _Yes,_ Barker thought. _As long as the lesson lasts... But at least he was willing to accept it. He might do well in Major Crime after all._

"Right," he said as they got into their car. "We'll all be late home tonight; we've got a report to file. And then tomorrow we have to see the rest of the witnesses to that bank robbery - the ones we didn't see this afternoon."

Starting the car, he headed for the PD.


End file.
